A SCHEME to fine householders who repeatedly dump their rubbish in back streets has been hailed a success.

Ribble Borough Valley Council started issuing £50 fines to Clitheroe residents who repeatedly put their bins out too early after a string of complaints about unsightly back streets littered with refuse sacks and overflowing bins.

Dogs and cats had been scavenging in the refuse and council officers believed the bins were becoming a health hazard.

The council's street cleansing and grounds maintenance manager, Alan Boyer, said: "We issued a leaflet last April asking householders to put rubbish out on the day of collection, or the night before at the earliest.

"We also asked them to put their rubbish out in bins and leave rubbish bags in their back yard, where we could get to them.

"People had been putting out their rubbish as soon as their bin bags were full and our lads had to clean it all up. But we're not here to clean the back streets of Clitheroe and we hope this scheme has sorted the problem out.

"We have issued over a hundred fines and it's amazing how quickly people have cottoned on. The back streets of Clitheroe are now looking much cleaner."

Council leader, Coun Chris Holtom, said the scheme had not come out of the blue and certain householders had been warned several times about dumping rubbish in their back streets.

"The fines are part of our policy to eradicate street fouling. Some of the people issued with fines had been spoken to several times," he said.

"Clitheroe is a lovely town and shouldn't be fouled up with discarded household rubbish.

"This initiative has been so successful that other villages are now asking for a similar scheme."